Architecture Notes

Activities

Project (1997)

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

NT 26138 74134 An evaluation was undertaken, 8 September 2016, of an uncovered stone feature. The feature was partially exposed during the formation of a series of planting beds to the E of Nelson’s Monument on Calton Hill. A trench was excavated across the top of the feature to identify its extent and purpose. The feature was formed from a deep cut into the bedrock of the hill, forming a large square chamber. The chamber was lined with dry stone and sealed with a 1m square stone capping. Two ceramic pipes ran in/out of the chamber; one of these was possibly from a down pipe and the other was perhaps an overflow. The feature proved to be drainage related. Its full purpose was not clear, but it was possibly a cistern tank for collecting rainwater.